Orangutans Loose in Downtown Minneapolis!

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Displaced primates, having lost much of their Indonsian rainforest habitat, relocate to Minneapolis to tell the company responsible for destroying their rainforests to adopt a Global Forest Policy NOW.
[caption id="attachment_4628" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Orangutans asking Minnesotans for help on Nicolette Blvd in Downtown Minneapolis"][/caption]
One distressed orangutan placed a call this afternoon to Cargill, the largest importer of palm oil to the United States. The orangutan apparently demanded that Cargill stop expanding palm oil plantations into rainforests in Indonesia. Over 4600 calls to Cargill have occurred over the past week as humans and other primates are becoming increasingly concerned over such reckless behavior that harms humans, animals, climate, and rainforests alike. Southeast Asian rainforests are not only home to the greatly endangered orangutan, but they also are one of our greatest hopes of a climate solution. On the contrary, 20% of greenhouse gas emissions are a result of deforestation. Once Cargill accepts their responsibility to stop clearcutting rainforests for palm oil, we will all be much safer. But they won’t do it until we make them. So stand up and be counted! Call Cargill at 1(800) CAR-GILL now.
A feisty group of concerned Twin Cities residents joined the RAN-Twin Cities chapter in a rally outside the Minnesota Grain Exchange on Monday, October 26. Humans and orangutans joined forces to demand that Cargill: Respect Rainforests & Human Rights: Global Forest Policy NOW.
[caption id="attachment_4630" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Delivering demands to Cargill in front of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange"][/caption]
Our group was well received by Minneapolis. After a brief stint at the Grain Exchange, our orangutans headed out on the town to ask folks for help in getting Cargill to stop clearcutting their habitat. Everyone we met seemed to be very concerned that these primates have lost their native habitats and were more than happy to call Cargill on the spot and tell them to get it together and do the right thing: protect rainforests! Orangutans are not the only ones deeply hurt by Cargill’s reckless palm oil sourcing….the expansion of oil palm plantations displaces people, disrupting indigenous livelihoods, forcing people off their land and into slave labor conditions on oil palm plantations. Cargill’s devastation of people and environment will not stand.
Cargill: do something that Minnesotans will be proud of. Adopt a global forest policy NOW! We'll be here until you do...
[caption id="attachment_4632" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="Orangutans in a downtown Minneapolis Skyway!"][/caption]

Rainforest Action Network uses people power to challenge business as usual.